12 Days Everest Base Camp Trek

                                                           Everest Base Camp Trek-15 days.
Trip Introduction:

Trekkers all over the world know that the world's most awe inspiring and iconic mountain trail trek is that to the Everest Base Camp trek, which takes us to the yards of world famous Sherpas, the culture of colorful prayer flags and Buddhism, the quaint Namche Bazzar, the Sagarmatha National Park, the mightiest view point-Kala Patthar, Everest Base Camp itself and close to four of the world's six tallest peaks Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho-Oyu  - those rise above everything else. It is well accepted that the Everest Base Camp trek is the grandest walk in the land of the Himalayas.

Everest Base Camp trek begins with an inspiring mountain flight to Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla and starting the trek up through the Sagarmatha National Park all the way through the colorful landscapes, we take steep ascent to Namche Bazaar, the capital of Sherpas, where we are greeted by spectacular mountain vistas. We enjoy the Sherpa village, its culture and monasteries, the mountaineers and wild life museums, during one rest day which also aid in acclimatization as the altitude begins to "rise". While we pass through the verdant alpine forest and wildlife, raging glacial rivers and waterfalls, stony trails, mountains, and Buddhist monasteries, Everest along with other mighty mountains get closer day by day. We continue to follow the trail to a famous vantage point, Kala Patthar, where a marvelous 360-degree panorama awaits.  After achieving our target of Everest Base Camp, we trek back down to Lukla for a return flight to Kathmandu.

Our 14 days Everest base camp trek is a great introductory trek for those travelers who wish to visit Everest base camp in short time. Travelers who are physically fit, in good health, and have enough trekking experiences can sign up for this two weeks long Everest Base Camp Trek. We have designed another itinerary, Everest base camp trek-14 days for novice trekkers who are in good health with normal physical fitness.  Some among us might be in quest of a more challenging trek along with a desire to "get off the beaten path" and exploring Gokyo Lake and valley. Our "Everest Base Camp Trek via Gokyo Lakes-17 days" would be ideal in that case! And for real adventurers looking for more like a challenging trek crossing some of the most famous high passes in the world, definitely Everest Transverse Trek-20 days would be perfect.

We basically do operate two kind of trekking, one is Tea House Trekking (Lodge to Lodge) and another one is Camping Trekking (Tent to Tent) but I would like to recommend doing Tea House Trekking because it is cheaper, warmer using Tea houses (lodges) along he way and even more eco-friendly compared to camping trekking.

Important Note and Optional Activities

Your safety is of paramount concern whilst traveling with Alliance Trekking. Please note that your leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary; however, as this is adventure travel in remote mountain region, we cannot guarantee it! Weather conditions, health condition of a member, unexpected natural disasters, etc., can all contribute to changes in the itinerary. The leader will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if required.

Day to Day Itinerary

Day 01:  Arrival in Kathmandu and trip preparation - 1,300m/4,264 ft
Upon your arrival in the Kathmandu airport (KTM) you will be greeted by a representative from Alliance Trekking (AT). After completing your custom formalities (Visa, etc) pick up your luggage and look for our representative with a Alliance Trekking display board at the arrival gate. You will be then transferred to Hotel Manang or a similar category hotel. After check in, you will visit Alliance Trekking office, meet your trekking guide as well as other participants and do final preparation for the trip. Later in the evening we will organize a "Welcome Dinner" at an excellent traditional Nepalese Restaurant where you will enjoy a Nepalese cultural program along with a fine meal.(D).

Day 02:   Kathmandu valley sight seeing – 1.300m/4,264ft.
Take your breakfast at the same hotel and then at 9:00AM by a private car with drive and tour guide start your Kathmandu valley sight seeing of  Bouddha Nath Stupa - the world’s largest stupa, a sight of great reincarnation to the Buddhist. Pasupatinath temple – the most sacred of the Hindu temple in Nepal dedicated for lord Shiva. Built in 1696. we will stop by at Patan for your lunch and after sight seeing tour of Patan Durbar Square – a city of architecture and fine arts. This city is known as the second oldest city in Kathmandu and Patan museum is the best museum in the South Asia. Krishna temple made of a single stone, Golden temple and palace square with local market street visit. Swoyambunath Stupa/Monkey temple – the oldest Buddhist shrine. Looking east from here, one can see the entire Kathmandu valley spread out below. 300 steps to get on the top of the Stupa is interesting walking. This place is also the best for the sun set view. Over night at hotel. In the evening at 5:00PM we meet at our head office and brief about your trek program. Hand over your trekking documents- flight ticket, permits, trek itinerary, check trek equipments and introduce trek guide.  (B)

Day 03:  Kathmandu - Lukla - Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft): 3-4 hrs.
After breakfast, we get transferred to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu airport for an early morning flight to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft), a gateway destination from where our trek starts. After an adventurous 40 minute flight above breathtaking green and white mountains, we reach the Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla. This is one of the most beautiful air routes in the world culminating in a dramatic landing on a hillside surrounded by high mountains peaks. Here we meet our other crew members and after some packing and arrangements, we start our trek through the prosperous village of Lukla until we reach Phakding. To assist in acclimatization, we only have a short hike today. However, if interested in additional activities we can take a side trip to a nearby monastery. Overnight in Phakding. Included meals: Breakfast,Lunch, Dinner (B,L,D)

Day 04:  Phakding - Namche Bazaar (3440 m/11,280 ft): 5-6 hrs
Walking through a beautiful pine forest, the track leads us along the Dudh Koshi River through many suspension bridges, one of which is the famous Hillary Suspension Bridge. First, we catch wonderful prospect of the glistening Mt. Thamserku (6618 m). Through the settlement of Benkar, Chumoa, Monjo, we come to the check post and entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. We pass through the last village of Jorsale before reaching Namche Bazaar. The trail climbs through the forests and bridges until we reach the confluence of the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. After a final steep ascent of about two hours we get first sight of Mt. Everest peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. We stop at Chautara to admire the view. We still need to hike about 1.5 hours to reach Namche Bazaar, a gateway to Mt. Everest and main trading centre of this region. We stay overnight in Namche Bazaar.(B,L,D)

Day 05:  Acclimatization Day - Namche Bazaar: 3,440m/11,284ft
This is the scheduled 'acclimatization' day for this trek. Health experts always recommend us to stay active and moving during the rest day too instead of being idle. We either spend the day taking a day hike to Thame or visiting Khunde or relaxing and exploring Namche Bazaar itself. Namche Bazzar is the main centre of the Everest (Khumbu) region and has government offices, ATMs, Internet cafes, shops, restaurants, a bakery and a colorful market each Friday evening and Saturday. If we trek a few hundred vertical feet during the day, it will help us to properly acclimatize. Our guides will take us to the Tourist Visitor Center near the headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park where we can observe an assortment of things related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region. We also take an interesting side trip up to Khumjung. We climb up to the famous airstrip at Syangboche. Just above the airstrip is the Everest View Hotel, a Japanese scheme to build a deluxe hotel with great views of the highest mountains on Earth. The Khumjung valley is surrounded by the snowy peaks of Kongde and Thamserku and the sacred peak Khumbila, hosts a well known monastery that houses a yeti scalp. We also visit Hillary School which is at the same site. After having lunch and spending some time in Khumjung, we walk back down to Namche Bazzar. Overnight in Namche Bazaar. (B,L,D)

Day 06:  Namche Bazzar to Tengboche (3,870m/12,694ft) - 5 to 6 hrs walk
After breakfast in Namche, we start our trek towards Tengboche enjoying superb view of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and close up view of Thamserku. Our trek follows on the gradual trail with few ups and downs overlooking magnificent view of the great Himalaya. Along the way we can spot wild lives like pheasant, musk deer, or a herd of Himalayan Thar. The trail goes gradually down up to Kayangjuma. The path eventually reaches Sansa which is the major trail junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp. The track then follows through the pine forests and after we cross the prayer flags festooned bridge over Dudh Koshi River, we reach Phunki Thenga, a small settlement with a couple of teahouses and a small army post amidst the alpine woods. After having a relaxed lunch at Phunki Thenga we then have a little tough climb steep up through the pine forests while before we reach Tengboche. Tengboche is a great place for close up views of Ama-Dablam, Nuptse, and Everest and it has a biggest Buddhist Monastery all over in Khumbu region. We visit the monastery the same day at around 3 p.m. to witness the ceremony in the principal and popular monastery of Everest region. Over night stay at lodge in Tengboche.(B,L,D)

Day 07:  Tengboche to Dingboche (4,360 m/14,300 ft): 5 to 6 hrs
Mountains as a backdrop, the monastery in Tengboche looks spectacular more in the morning. We snap pictures of the monastery and the sceneries around and as usual start the day journey. We choose the upper trail for better views to visit Pangboche village and its ancient Monastery. We pass through several Chortens and Mani walls and small villages. We enjoy lunch with fantastic close-up views of Ama-Dablam. In the afternoon, go north to Pheriche or take the eastward trail beneath the towering north face of Ama Dablam. From here onwards the walk is fairly moderate as we enter the Imja Valley. The valley ahead will begin to open up as we approach the confluence of the Lobuche River, we descend into the river and begin the last and steepest climb of the day up to Dingboche On arrival in Dingboche, we enjoy the beautiful array of fields enclosed by stone walls to protect the barley, buckwheat and potatoes from the cold winds and grazing animals. Overnight in Dingboche. (B,L,D)

Day 08:  Dingboche - Duglha (4,600 m/15,090 ft): 3 to 4 hrs
We start the day with a climb to Duglha through the Khumbu Khola valley. The trek along the arid terrace is awarding with awesome views of mountains on all sides. As we come to a yak herder's place called Dusa, the valley begins to narrow and we continue through Phulung Karpo, of the camp sites during first successful Everest Expedition in 1953. Above Phulung Karpo is Chola Lake. As we continue our trek the majestic view of Mt. Pumori (7138 m/ 23418 ft) comes into view. As the trail descends and curves Mt. Pumori hides and we come across a roaring stream. After crossing a small wooden bridge, we ascend to Dugla. We can see the tip of Nuptse from here as well as Cholatse, Thamserku, and several other magnificent peaks. Spending a night in Duglha is ideal for acclimatization purposes. Overnight in Duglha. (B,L,D)

Day 09:  Duglha - Lobuche (4940 m/16,207 ft): 2 to 4 hour trek
Beyond Duglha we trek up the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. We find our way through the boulder-strewn slope as we ascend Chupki Lhara, an eerie ridge top with dramatic mountains views. At the top of the ridge we will find an array of stones with prayer flags used as memorials to Scott Fischer (American mountaineer) and 10 times Everest submitter Babu Chiri Sherpa (mountain guide from Nepal) who perished on a mission to climb Everest. As the trail drops to the Khumbu Glacier moraine, we find ourselves right "in front of" several great peaks - Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. We are now in the vicinity of Everest but the great mountain still remains hidden. Nuptse towers to the right as the trail crosses the Khumbu Glacier. As we trek along a murmuring stream we do not see the Khumbu glacier because of its lateral moraine wall and we now begin to feel a little out of breath due to high altitude. Overnight in Lobuche. (B,L,D)

Day 10:  Lobuche - Gorak Shep [5170 m/16,961ft] - Everest Base Camp [5364 m/17,594 ft] / Kala Patthar (5545 m/18,192 ft) - Gorak Shep:  8-9 hrs
The trail to Gorak Shep goes ahead through the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. We pass though the pyramid sign post. Ahead on the trail we see crest of north ridge of Everest along with Mt. Pumori, Mahalangur, Lingtern, Khumbutse, Nuptse, etc. A small ascent would take us to Thangma Riju from where we perceive 360 degree vista of snowy mountains. Climbing steeply up to the top through the torrent of Changri glacier, we catch our first glimpse of Kala Patthar, a grey-green knoll beneath the Mt. Pumori. As we reach Gorak Shep, we will be surrounded by snow-capped mountains looming all around us including the top of the world - Mount Everest. After a brief lunch and rest, we take the trail to Everest Base Camp through the once vast Gorak Shep Lake. Continuing straight ahead, we come through the Indian army mountaineers' memorials. As we reach Everest Base Camp we cannot stop ourselves from appreciating the Everest climbers those take the hazardous route through the Khumbu icefall. Mountaineer's tents stand out in bright colors against all the dull gray surroundings (especially in the Spring). Nuptse, Khumbuste and Pumori are the mountains we can view from base camp. Everest actually is not visible from here. By now we have met the ultimate objective of our trip. However, the sunset view from Kala Patthar is more admirable than the sunrise view, so it is suggested to visit Kala Patthar today during sunset.  As the setting sun's rays strike the snow capped mountains the resulting scenery is indescribable. For those trekkers who wish to continue to Kala Patthar, our guides and Sherpas coordinate your hike to Kala Patthar for amazing sunset view today rather than waiting until the next day. Overnight in Gorak Shep at a local lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 11:  Gorak Shep - Kala Patthar / Everest Base Camp - Pheriche [4280 m/14,070 ft]: 8-9 hrs
Today is the climax of our trip. We start early in the morning to catch the dramatic views from Kala Patthar witnessing the first light of day shining on Mount Everest. However, we need to get prepared for an early morning, dark and cold temperature (-10 to -14 C) departure beforehand. Plus there is always the potential for chilly winds which are quite common. Familiar peaks such as Lingtren, Khumbutse, Changtse tower to the east even as Everest begins to reveal itself emerging between the west shoulder crest and Nuptse. During the ascent to Kala Patthar we can pause to catch our breath at several outstanding view points to snap pictures. After several hours of an ascent, we reach Kala Patthar. From here we scramble to climb the rocky outcrop near to the summit marked by cairns and prayer flags. As we reach the top, we sit on the Kala Patthar rocks our eyes taking in the unbelievable Himalayan Panorama, wandering from one mighty massif to another. We take as many pictures as we can with our camera and take the in view with our mind's eye to last lifetime.  On being back to Gorak Shep, we have breakfast and wait other participants to return back. Those participants who will visit Everest base camp today will have early breakfast to start early as Everest base camp hike takes longer time (4-5 hrs) than the Kala Patthar hike. Upon return back to Gorak Shep, the group will have lunch together; and afternoon time is taken to descend down to Pheriche for a good night's rest.  (B,L,D)

Day 12:  Pheriche-Pangboche-Tengboche-Namche Bazzar (3,440 m/11,280 ft): 5-6 hrs
We will trek down through the hillside blanketed by rhododendron and juniper trees. If it's spring, pink and red rhododendron flowers ablaze our surroundings. Depending on our hunger and condition, we either have our lunch in Pangboche or wait until we reach Phunki Tenga for lunch. After crossing the prayer flag festooned bridge over the Dudh Koshi River trail then follows the Dudh Koshi gorge descending rapidly through the pine forests. The path eventually reaches Sansa which is the major trail junction in the region. We stop at Kyangjuma (3570 m/11,710 ft) for a relaxed lunch. We unknowingly appreciate the gorgeous Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Nuptse with every bite. Following lunch, the trail to Namche Bazaar clings to the steep wooded slope beyond Kyangjuma, winding through several bends. We keep a lookout for wild life such as mountain goats, snow leopards, colorful pheasants, etc., while we pass through the forest by the trail. After passing a Chorten, we reach the army camp at of Namche Bazaar. We want to take a long last look (and picture!) back to Lhotse, the tip of Everest and Tengboche from here. On reaching our lodge, we take a nice hot shower and have very relaxed sleep in our room in Namche Bazaar. Overnight in Namche Bazaar. (B,L,D)

Day 13:  Namche Bazaar-Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft): 6-8 hrs
The trail descends steeply downward so we need to walk slowly and under control as our shaky legs continuously battle the rocky terrain. After crossing the suspension bridges over the fast flowing Dudh Koshi and its tributaries the trail becomes more level and natural. By today we start to get warmed up by the light breeze. Any remaining sore throats and colds will be gone by today as we pass through this charming mountain air. Although we are travelling the same route down, we feel completely different views. We snap a mixture of open plains, rhododendron and pine forests, and in the distance snow covered peaks. We walk through the Sherpa villages' noticing impressive faith in Buddhism and culture of prayer stones and prayers flag while we walk through the villages. On arrival in Lukla, we stretch those sore legs and recall the experiences of the last couple of weeks. We experience the culmination of a fantastic trek on a happy note with everyone back safe and sound with smile on their faces! Overnight in Lukla. (B,L,D)

Day 14:  Lukla - Kathmandu
We fly back to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. The early morning flight drops us at Kathmandu. You can rest and relax throughout the day in your hotel. If get interested to take some gifts home from Nepal for friends and relatives, visit to some nearby shops or venture out in Thamel for typical Nepalese goods which can be assisted by our guides or you can do it yourself too. If you want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu take the time to do that today! Remember, we will be hosting a fantastic celebration dinner together for successfully completing your trek to Everest Base Camp Trek! Overnight in Kathmandu. (B,D)

Day 15:  Farewell Friend
You are saying good bye to the mountains as your journey in Nepal comes to an end today! There is nothing to do but trade emails with your travel companions and organize your photos. If you have more time you can do some shopping or sightseeing. Approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight a representative from Alliance Trekking will take you to the airport. On your way home you'll have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in the wonderful country of Nepal.   (B)

In some circumstances we can face problem of internal flights to/from Lukla delayed by few hours or canceled for a day or many days too because of bad weather. Very rarely, but it could happen even in best trekking season also as you know how climate change is effecting our globe. Thus, we always recommend you to add supplement night/s in Kathmandu after your trek if possible (just for incase).If everything runs smoothly, you can enjoy other activities like sightseeing, rafting , wildlife activities, shopping, as you wish in those additional day. However, if you want heli rescue in the state of flight cancellation to/from Lukla-we can organize it. A helicopter charge around USD 5000 and it can lift 4 persons per flight.

Trip Cost Includes

•     All airport/hotel transfers
•     2 nights in 3-star hotel in Kathmandu (Hotel Manang or similar standard) with breakfast
•     11 nights in standard lodges/teahouses in mountain
•     Welcome and farewell dinner
•     All accommodation and meals during the trek
•     Domestic flights and airport departure taxes
•     An experienced English-speaking trek leader (trekking guide), assistant trek leader (8 trekkers: 1 assistant guide) and Sherpa porters          to carry luggage (2 trekkers:1 porter) including their salary, insurance, equipment, flight, food and lodging
•     Down jacket, four seasonal sleeping bag, Himalayan Glacier Trekking duffel bag, t-shirt, and trekking map (down jacket and sleeping bag
       are to be returned after     trip completion)
•     All necessary paper work and permits (National park permit, TIMS )
•     A comprehensive medical kit
•     All government and local taxes

 Trip Cost Does Not Include

•         Nepal Visa fee (bring accurate USD cash and two passport photographs)
•         International airfare to and from Kathmandu
•         Excess baggage charges
•        Extra night accommodation in Kathmandu because of early arrival, late departure, early return from mountain(due to any reason) than          the scheduled itinerary  
•         Lunch and evening meals in Kathmandu(and also in the case of early return from mountain than the scheduled itinerary)
•         Travel and rescue insurance
•         Personal expenses (phone calls, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, extra porters, bottle or boiled water, shower etc)
•         Tips for guides and porters

The Trekking Group
For the Everest Base Camp trek, there will be one leader, assistant leader (8 trekkers:1 assistant guide) and Sherpa porters for luggage carrying (2 trekkers:1 porter) This arrangement ensures that should any body in the group is sick, the trip can still go ahead as planned. We can run the Everest Base Camp trek for group of any size, but generally have a maximum of 16 people, as we've found this to be the optimum size for a successful trip. However, if you'd like to make a group booking for more than sixteen people together, we can arrange this too.

Health & Experience Required
Our 15-day Everest Base Camp Trek is moderate trek suitable for passionate walkers who have ability to walk at least 4-7 hours a day with a light rucksack. Some days you might even need to walk 8 to 9 hours. Walking in higher altitude is physically demanding than walking in the lower altitudes; however, if you are in excellent health with average physical fitness, positive attitude, self confidence and strong determination, you can accomplish the 15-day Everest Base Camp Trek successfully. Exercising and jogging regularly for some weeks prior of the trip is good idea to enhance your strength and stability. Past hiking experience would be an asset but no technical skill is required for this trip. It is vital that you consult with your doctor before you decide and set up for the Everest Base camp trek. Participants with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart, lung, and blood disease should inform Alliance Treks & Expedition (ATE) before booking the trek.

A Typical Day on The Trail...
Soon after first light your Sherpa knocks on your door and offers you a cup of warm tea with a smile. After freshening and finishing up your tea, you pack your bags and assemble in the dining hall for a hearty breakfast before setting off on the day`s trek. After approximately 2-3 hours of trekking you take a break for lunch somewhere in the trail. After a relaxing lunch, you typically spend around 2-3 hours or even more sometimes on the trail before reaching your stopping point. Throughout the day, you will take frequent rest beaks and take time to admire the fascinating mountains views. You take plenty of pictures of yourself with incredibly panoramic mountains, rivers, landscapes, prayer flags, temples, shrines, cairns, monasteries, etc. Once you arrive at your teahouse, you take a brief rest, shower, and have a light snack with tea or coffee. If you are so inclined, you may take a short walk through the village and surrounding neighborhood. After checking into your room you have time to read or chat with fellow trekkers and your Alliance Trekking crew. Following a warm dinner in a cozy dining hall your trek leader briefs you on the next day`s itinerary. You place your order for breakfast which allows your guide to have everything ready for you for the next morning. Extra time can be spent reading, enjoying some drinks or playing cards. Your Alliance Trekking crew loves to teach various Nepali card games as well as learning new Western games. Finally, it`s off to bed for a well earned night`s rest before starting all over again the next day.

Travel Insurance
It is a condition of joining any of our trips that be protected against comprehensive expenses potential to incur due to medical issues or accidents (to include air ambulance, helicopter rescue, and treatment costs). Please be noted that we don't arrange or sell insurance so we strongly recommend you to have your own traveling insurance to avoid all unforeseen rescue problem arises in the mountain while you will be doing trekking with us.

 Accommodations
All accommodations for Everest base camp trek are on twin sharing basis included in the trip cost and are chosen based on standard of hygiene, standard of service and food, location, etc. There are two styles of accommodations during our trekking. You will spend 3 nights in a 3-star hotel, Hotel Manang or similar category hotel in Kathmandu and during your trekking you will spend 11 nights in standard teahouse/lodge/hotel in which there are unheated rooms with wooden beds and foam mattresses. Most of the teahouses/lodges of some places only have shared washing and toilet facilities. For sure there are some place attached bath room (private bath room) lodges are available along the Everest trekking but it will be hard to assure you due to no pre-booking system not available everywhere along the way unless some one speficifically demands paying bit more higher cost than our quoted cost but again as we told you above attached bath rooms are not available everywhere. If you are a solo traveler, you will share a room with someone else of same sex of your group. If you prefer a single room, you may indicate your preference and get single rooms on request by paying single supplement USD 250. There are several places that do not allow single accommodations in the Everest Region. On paying single supplement, you will get single room in Kathmandu but it is possible only up to Namche Bazzar during the trek. Above Namchhe Bazzar single accommodation is not always feasible. However, we will try our best to provide you with single rooms in all places if possible.

Meals
During your Everest base camp trek, you can enjoy typical Nepali food, different ethnic cuisines as well as all types of international cuisine (Tibetan, Continental, Italian, Indian, etc.) from pizza and Chips to apple pie. You can even enjoy hot chocolates, variety of breads, variety of drinks, and snacks. Breakfast of a day will be provided from the teahouse/lodge menu where you spent your night. Please remember above mentioned meals you may not find as exact flavor as what you find in Kathmandu or in your home country because in the mountain they do have their own recipe however we have good comments our trekkers have enjoyed meals all the along the way. For sure meals and drinks are not unlimited whiel you will be doing trekking we do provide meals three times a day (Breakfast, Lunch and dinner) with tea/coffee. Lunch will be served on the way to destination, dinner and breakfast in the teahouse where you will spend the night. A welcome dinner, a farewell dinner and breakfasts will be provided during your stay in Kathmandu.

Equipments & Packing List
While packing for “ Everest Base Camp Trek ”certain gears are essential to be considered. Please check in our equipments list.

Acclimatization
Our Everest Base Camp Trek-15 days itinerary is planned with a high degree of awareness of AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness). Going up too fast causes a medical condition serious enough to kill. The higher the altitude the less is the oxygen is in air. For example, on the summit of  Kala Patthar (5554m/18192ft) and  Everest Base Camp (5357m/17575ft), there is 50% less oxygen than of the sea level. Your body needs some days to adapt to this less air environment. So for a safe trek, it is absolutely essential to allow sufficient time for acclimatization. Sensible planning is therefore required to minimize the risk of AMS. We advise specially the guest(s) with known heart, lungs or blood diseases to consult their doctor before traveling. Mild headaches, fever, loss of appetite or stomach disorder are symptoms of AMS. Check out "Altitude illness" by Dr Jim Duff Alliance Trek's itineraries are designed to try to prevent AMS as much as possible, but it is important to remember that some people are more vulnerable than others.

Leader(s) & Staff Arrangements
The most significant thing that makes your Everest Base Camp Trek successful, enjoyable and memorable is the skilled, experienced, courteous and helpful trek leader and the crew members with ability of operating your days in the mountain smoothly. Your trip will be led by the best and most professional leaders. All of our trekking leaders are carefully selected on the basis of their appropriate experience, leadership skills and personal aptitude. With an objective of sustaining local communities Alliance trekking only employs Nepalese staffs who have adequate knowledgeable about culture, ecosystem, flora, fauna, geography, and history of Nepal. We do not know how people will take this interestingly Alliance Treks (AT) has employed 98% of the trekking guide and Sherpas staff from own village where our chairman/founder Mr.Kul Gurung has come from(village). Trek leaders of ATE are also trained with following trainings to make them educated on potential medical issues during their trek, biodiversity and environmental issues, English language, etc:

Intensive Wilderness First Aid

•        Trekking Guide Training
•        Eco Trekking Workshop & Adventure Meet
•       English Language
•       Conservation and Biodiversity
•       Rock climbing, Ice Climbing and Mountaineering (for expedition leaders)
•       Team building
•      Social responsibility and
•      Responsible tourism

To meet our team, check out the Guide Profile Page.

Porter Care
Though often overlooked, it's no exaggeration to say the entire trekking and expedition industry in Nepal is built on the back of hard working local porters. It is their tireless efforts carrying supplies, equipment and baggage that make journeying to these remote areas possible. So it's very unfortunate that they have endured a history of exploitation and abuse at the hands of the industry. In an effort to combat this, we are firmly committed to porter rights. We ensure all our porters are well treated, well paid and we provide the level of shelter, clothing and footwear that these harsh environments demand. Porters who become sick are treated with the same care and attention as other team members and we have previously used helicopters - at our expense - to rescue porters from dangerous situations. And for the porter's sake we require that all trekkers keep their luggage bag weight under 20kgs/44 pounds. We support the work of the International Porter Protection Group (IPPG), making our resources available to them to help improve the working conditions of the porters.

Environmental Concerns
The Everest region is stunningly beautiful, but equally fragile. Future generations have just as much of a right to appreciate it as we do and so the tourism industry has an obligation to protect and preserve it. We employ a 'zero impact' policy on the natural environment and the traditional communities that live there. We enforce a number of do's and don'ts, and our experienced staffs can advise your how to minimize your impact. To find out more about the clean-up campaigns and environmental awareness events we've run with KEEP (Kathmandu Environmental Education Project).

Best Season
Autumn (mid Sept to mid Dec) and Spring(March to May – the best rhododendron flowering season) are the best seasons for the Everest Base Camp Trek. The weather is sunny and warm, with outstanding views but the nights are cold and can fall to freezing in higher elevations. Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb) is also good for EBC trek, only issue is cold (obviously). Trekking in summer/monsoon(June, July) will be affected by rain but summer trek could be a boon for a keen botanist. The trekking routes are crowded during spring and autumn but during monsoon and winter the routes are not packed and you could enjoy rather best of nature avoiding not seeing too many tourist as in season time.